Google Webmaster Tools shows you how your website performs in Google search. Google renamed it Google Search Console in 2015, but it is the same free tool. It tells you which searches find you, which pages Google can read, and what to fix first.
Google Webmaster Tools is now Google Search Console
Many people still search for the old name. Google changed it to Search Console in 2015. The free tool works the same way, and you sign in with a Google account.
You add your website, prove you own it, and Google starts to show you data. It takes a few days for the first numbers to appear. Give it a week before you judge it.
What the search queries report shows you
This is the most useful report. It shows how many times Google displayed your site in results. We call these impressions.
It also shows how many people clicked your link, and the exact phrases they typed. Those phrases tell you which words bring visitors to you.
A phrase with many impressions and few clicks is a chance to win. Improve that page title and the first paragraph, then watch the numbers change.
How to start using Search Console
These steps take about 15 minutes for most small sites.
Sign in with Google
Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with your Google account.
Add your website
Enter your domain name, for example yourcompany.com, and choose to add it as a property.
Prove you own it
Google gives you a code to add to your DNS records or your site. We can do this for you if you are not sure how.
Send your sitemap
Open the Sitemaps menu and enter the address of your sitemap. This helps Google find every page.
Check back each month
Look at the search queries report and the page problems list. Fix the pages with the most impressions first.
More ways the tool helps
Search Console tells you when Google cannot read a page. A broken link or a blocked page shows up in the list, so you can fix it before visitors notice.
It also warns you about problems on phones. Most local searches happen on a phone, so a page that is hard to use there loses visitors. A security warning from Google appears here too.
A common mistake is to sign up and never look again. The data only helps if you act on it. Pick one page each month and improve it.
Local SEO starts with these numbers
Every good local SEO plan uses this data. It shows what real people type before they find a business like yours.
Our SEO plan is $190 a month. We update your page titles and Google listing, and we send you a monthly rank report. We recommend Search Console to every site owner.
If you need a site first, our web design team builds a new website for $300 in 3 to 5 days. For help with Search Console, call Websnoogie in Omaha at 402-813-4034 any day from 7 am to 10 pm.
Common questions
Is Google Webmaster Tools still available?
Yes, but under a new name. Google renamed it Google Search Console in 2015, and it is still free.
Does Search Console cost money?
No. It is free with any Google account. You only need to prove that you own the website.
How long until I see data?
Most sites show first numbers within a few days. A full picture takes a few weeks.
AboutRod and Tami Atwood
Rod and Tami Atwood and other Websnoogie contributors write the Websnoogie blog. Rod has built websites since 2004 and founded Websnoogie, LLC in Omaha in 2012. Tami is co-owner, content editor and billing expert. Call us at 402-813-4034 or write to staff@websnoogie.com.
